Movable barrier operator systems of various kinds are known in the art. In general, such systems serve to effect selective movement of a movable barrier (including but not limited to garage doors of various kinds, rolling shutters, and other horizontally or vertically sliding, moving, or pivoting doors, gates, arms, and the like) between at least a first position and a second position (such as between an opened and a closed position). Many such systems include at least one and frequently a plurality of movable barrier operator system components. Such components serve in general to instigate and/or to reflect or report active operation of the system in general and often (but not always) more specifically the active operation of the movable barrier itself. Examples of such components include but are not limited to movable barrier operators and movable barrier operator remote control devices (including wired and wireless remote control devices and portable and stationary remote control devices).
The operational strategies, component configuration and deployment, installation requirements, and feature sets of such systems continues in general to grow in complexity. At the same time, however, many users are unable or unwilling to make effective use of a challenging user interface. As a result, many modern movable barrier operator systems that support a variety of functions and operational states nevertheless offer only a very limited user interface. For example, in many cases, the individual components provide little or no informational content to a user. In some cases one or two light emitting diodes or other similar indicator serves to indicate when a particular button has been pushed or some corresponding action has been instigated, but generally speaking, such systems are literally silent in this regard.
While such design strictures do, in at least some sense, often succeed in maintaining potential user cognitive loading at or below some desired level, these same user interface conditions also potentially unduly constrain the breadth and/or depth of system functionality, ease of use, and capability. This, in turn, can ultimately lead to reduced user satisfaction.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.